Second Time Around
by reilert79
Summary: Chris goes for a mammogram and finds out she has to have a procedure done; Miranda and Lisa clash, which ends up affecting everyone in the house plus Lisa and Bridgit too.


***Chris and David's apartment***

It was Monday, after Thanksgiving. Chris was up and getting ready to take Miranda to school, and then she and David were going to meet with the contractor about renovations to their new place.

Thanksgiving had gone rather well. Miranda's grandparents had come over, and so had Bridgit, and Lisa, and Charli. Miranda had seemed ok on Thanksgiving, and only teared up when she saw her grandparents.

They had skipped Black Friday shopping, and just stayed home.

Chris put on her skinny destructed jeans, and a pink long sleeved blouse, with her UGG boots. David was in the shower, and she made Miranda breakfast while they were waiting.

"Ok, scrambled eggs and bacon, hot and fresh!"

She put it on a plate for Miranda and then took her the plate. Miranda ate while Chris cleaned the kitchen.

She quickly went to the office and grabbed the folder she needed for the contractor, and made sure the check book was in her purse.

"Miranda, tell me again what you want in your room? Step, and a big closet, right?"

"Yes, and I want the step to go in front of the window, like sideways, so that my bed is sideways against the window".

"Got it".

"And if he is redoing the bathroom, can he do a shower stall in my bathroom, and not a tub? I hate tubs".

"We will see, honey. I promise I will ask him if the bathroom is ok".

David came out, and they all left and headed to the car.

They went to Starbucks, and then dropped Miranda off at school, and headed to meet the contractor.

***Penthouse***

Chris and David walked into their penthouse, and found their contractor inside, already working.

"Hey, Tim. How's it going?"

"Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is, everything is fixable. The bad news is there is a lot to fix".

"Well, we have some things we want to change, so that might work in our favor. What needs fixing?"

"Well, the main things are the floors, and the windows. The wood around the windows in some of the rooms are rotting, and will need replacing. This wood floor is buckling right here, so it will need replacing."

"Ok. We can live with that". They went over what they wanted to do in each room, and he told them he would take the floors up and then let them choose what they wanted to put down. They would replace the floors last.

After a successful meeting, David wrote him a rather sizeable check, and they left. He had given them an estimated moving date of January 24.

Chris and David headed to eat lunch, and then went home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris and David came in, and Chris changed into her lounging pants. She looked at the clock- 1 p.m. She knew she could get a pretty good nap in before she goes to pick up Miranda.

She got herself a glass of water, and headed to the bedroom. She pulled the curtains, and climbed in bed. David came in and climbed in bed beside her, and set his alarm for 2:30. They snuggled up and took a nap.

***Later***

Chris wakes up, and finds David gone. She grabs her phone, and looks at the clock. It's 5:15.

Panic sets in. She gets up, and starts rushing around, and comes out and finds David sitting on the couch.

He jumps up and comes to her, and tries to calm her down.

"It's ok, babe. I let you sleep and I went and picked her up. She's in her room".

Chris sighed and hugged him.

She headed to the kitchen, and opened the fridge.

"What do you want for dinner, honey?"

He got up and came over and started looking at the fridge with her.

She leaned back against him, and told him how she was just so tired.

"My chest hurts a little".

"Why don't we order something in, so you don't have to cook?"

"Great idea". She grabbed the menus out of the menu drawer and they settled on an Italian place.

"Write down what everyone wants and I will call it in, babe".

She wrote down her order, while David went to get Miranda.

Chris ordered the chicken scallopini with extra artichokes, and a Caprese salad with extra mozzarella. David ordered the pasta di mare, and Miranda ordered the chicken alfredo. They added 3 Caesar salads and David called it in.

After he placed the order, he hung up and told Chris he would go get it since delivery would take too long.

She nodded, and went and sat on the couch.

She couldn't shake this low energy, and pain in her chest at odd times. She couldn't afford to be sick right now, either.

She found a movie to watch, and turned it on, and rested while she waited for David.

David got back about 25 minutes later, and they ate dinner. She turned the TV to the weather channel and they were reporting that New York was supposed to get about 8 inches of snow over the next 7 days, with arctic temps in between.

"Thank goodness my classes are all indoors. I hate the cold".

After they ate, Miranda headed to her room, and Chris and David headed to the couch.

She watched a movie with him for a little bit, and then headed to take a bath.

He joined her in the bathtub, and massaged her neck and shoulders. They soaked till the water got cold, and then got out.

They dried off, and then she put on her pajamas and sprayed the sleep spray on the sheets. David put on his pajamas and went and got her a fresh glass of water, and locked the door and set the alarm.

He came back and joined her in bed. They watched the news and then David turned the TV off. He rolled over and kissed Chris' neck for a few minutes. He was rubbing his hands all over her, but he felt like she wasn't interested.

He stopped, and looked at her.

"Not in the mood, babe?"

"I am not feeling well, but I don't know what's wrong. I am tired all the time, my chest hurts, I have zero energy. Something isn't right". She was teary, and David was concerned.

"When we wake up in the morning, babe, we are going to your doctor."

"I have a mammogram, I will ask my ob-gyn about it".

He nodded. "Good idea. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I can handle it".

She felt bad about not having sex with him, and he could see that.

He kissed the side of her face. "Whatever it is, we will get through it together".

She nodded, and they fell asleep.

***Tuesday***

Chris woke up when her alarm went off, and took a shower and then got ready. She had to wear a loose top for her mammogram, so she chose a loose fitting long sleeved tee shirt, and some yoga pants, and her UGGs.

She woke David up, and he jumped in the shower while she made breakfast. She made them all omelets, and Miranda also had a bowl of cereal.

Chris and Miranda headed to take her to school, and then Chris had her mammogram, and then she would be back home. David was going to run some errands, and get Chris' Christmas gift.

"See you when you get back, babe. Love you more than anything". He kissed her a few times.

"Love you too, honey". She kissed him back a few times, and then she and Miranda left.

After she dropped Miranda off at school, she headed to her appointment.

***Manhattan OBGYN Associates***

Chris came in the office and signed in, and paid her co-pay.

She sat down in the waiting room, and was called back fairly quickly.

She spoke with the nurse and stated that she wanted to see the doctor after the mammogram.

They did her mammogram, and then put her in a room.

She was allowed to redress while she was in there, and Dr. Larson came in about 20 minutes later.

"Hi Christine, how are you?"

"Great, thanks."

"We don't have the results of your mammogram yet, so how can I help you?"

"I don't know what is wrong with me, but I have zero energy. I mean zero. I took a nap yesterday at 1, and didn't wake up till 5:15. I keep having this dull ache in my chest. I feel like I am in a mental brain fog, and last night, I had no desire to have sex with my husband. I am usually very willing to have sex with him, but last night, it was not happening. I know something isn't right".

"Ok, well we can do a blood draw, and check your hormone levels and do a full bloodwork test and see what we are dealing with, if you'd like."

"Yes, please".

"Ok, I am going to go check on your mammogram results, and have a nurse do the blood draw in the meantime. Be right back".

Chris sat there, waiting for the nurse to come in.

After about 5 minutes, the nurse came right in and started the blood draw, and did 4 tubes worth, and then patched Chris up.

Dr. Larson came back in right after that.

She put them up on the lighted display, and turned it on.

"Ok, I have your results of your mammogram. I would like to do an ultrasound on you today, if I may. I see a couple spots that I would like to look at closer, if that's ok?"

Chris swallowed hard, and nodded.

Dr. Larson gave Chris a gown, and told her to undress from the waist up and put the gown on, open in the front.

"I am going to go get the ultrasound machine and be right back".

Chris put the gown on, and sat back on the table. Dr. Larson came back with the ultrasound machine, and a nurse came back in with Chris' hormone levels.

The ultrasound was pretty quick- the doctor found the spot right away on both breasts, and saw that she was going to need to be more invasive.

"Ok, here is your spot right here. It is pretty deep, but I can get to it. It has rough edges, and is pushing on some lymph nodes, which means whatever it is may have been absorbed in part by the lymph nodes. I would like to give you a local today, and do a quick needle biopsy of the spot, if I may. I am sorry, I know this is a lot of procedures for you in one day, but I think if we do it today, I can rule out possibilities faster."

"Whatever you think. I am open to anything".

She paged a nurse, and told her what she needed.

They did the local quickly, and she didn't feel the biopsy at all.

They stitched her up, with 2 stitches, and gave her a bandage.

"You are going to be sore tomorrow, and I want you to rest. You can expect full body aches, back aches, and tenderness to the incision site. I will give you a prescription for pain meds and I want you to ice it if it is swollen".

"Thank you. What about the spot in the other breast?"

"Well, they appear to be connected through lymph nodes, so I am confident that one spot will be the same as the other".

She nodded.

"You can expect a phone call from me within two days telling you what this is".

"Ok, thank you. Thank you for seeing me today, Dr. Larson".

She grabbed Chris' file.

"It looks like your hormones are way out of whack. That could explain a lot of what you are experiencing. So, I am going to prescribe you some tablets, and I want you to take one every morning". She wrote out the prescriptions, and handed them to Chris.

"Have a good rest of your day, and rest, rest, rest."

"Thanks".

Chris got dressed, and left the office.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris stopped and got her favorite salad for lunch, and then headed home.

She came in the apartment, and tried to be cheery and normal, but David could tell something was wrong.

He looked at her, and he knew. He opened his arms and she just collapsed into them and started to cry.

"It's ok babe, we did it last time, we can do it again this time too. I promise".

He held her for a long time, and just rubbed her back and stroked her hair.

She finally stepped back and went to the table to eat her salad and he sat with her.

"So, what did the dr. say?"

"Mammogram showed two spots, one in each breast, and then she did an ultrasound and then a needle biopsy in the office. Said I am going to be really sore tomorrow and not well at all, and to rest as much as possible. She is supposed to call me within 48 hours to let me know the results. But I know in my heart what it is. She said it had rough edges, and that it was laying on a lymph node…"

"Did she give you any prescriptions for pain meds?"

"Yes, it's in my purse."

"Well, give it to me, and I will take it and drop it off when I go pick up Miranda. And you are officially on rest duty, starting now. We can go out to dinner, or order in if you'd like, and tomorrow, I will spend the whole day taking care of you".

She nodded. After she finished eating, she went and changed into her lounging pants, and then headed for the couch. She tried to get engrossed into a movie, but it didn't work. She simply couldn't get her mind to calm down.

David went and dropped of her prescriptions, and then picked up Miranda.

They came in and Miranda came over and joined Chris.

"Hiya kiddo. Good day at school?"

"Yeah, I guess".

Miranda dropped her bag, and then headed to the kitchen to get herself a snack. David joined Chris on the couch, and they snuggled for a bit.

She leaned back against him while he massaged her head, and they chatted till Chris fell asleep. David eased out from under her and propped her up with a pillow. He went to Miranda's room to talk to her.

"Hey kiddo. I just wanted to talk to you a minute. Christine had a doctor's appointment today, and the news wasn't good. A few years back, before we found out about you, Christine had breast cancer. She survived after going through chemo. Well, her cancer is more than likely back, and she will be having a procedure done in the next week or so to treat it. So, we just need to be patient and extra helpful with her, ok?"

Miranda nodded.

"I was going to ask you earlier, but can I go with my friend Stacy to her country house this weekend? Her parents will be there, and we are just going to be hanging out".

"If you give us the parent's phone numbers, then yes, you may go. When is it?"

"We would leave Friday after school, and come back Sunday".

"Ok. That sounds fine".

He got up and headed back to the den. Chris was fast asleep on the couch. He grabbed the menus from the menu drawer, and gathered up the gift cards they had. He set them on the table so that he and Chris could decide when she woke up.

He really and truly hoped that the doctor called sooner, rather than later, because it was going to kill them waiting.

***Tuesday***

Still no word from the doctor. Chris woke up and made herself breakfast. David had taken Miranda to school and let Chris sleep in.

After breakfast, Chris headed to take a long bath with muscle relief bath salts and Epsom salts.

She was ready to find out the news, good or bad. She wanted to face this head on.

She stayed in the bath a long time, and then got out when the water turned cold. She dried off, and put on some cozy pajamas, and headed to the couch. She got under a blanket and laid there, watching TV.

About an hour later, David still wasn't back. Chris had texted him and he stated he was Christmas shopping and would be home soon.

Chris laid around the rest of the day, and stayed up on her pain meds. She was trying to manage her pain as well as she could. All the waiting was driving her crazy.

She watched a movie, and her phone rang just as it was going off. David was still out.

She saw it was the doctor's office, and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"May I speak to Christine, please?"

"This is she".

"This is Olivia from Dr. Larson's office. The results have come back from your needle biopsy, and they indicate that you do have cancer. So, Dr. Larson would like to set up an appointment with you, and she will have an oncologist here who can help determine what your options are. Are you free tomorrow at 1?"

"Yes, that's fine".

"Ok. You can wear regular clothes to this appointment, and you won't have to undress more than likely. Bring someone with you, as these types of appointments can be very overwhelming. We will see you tomorrow at 1".

Chris barely managed to say "Thank you" before she hung up. She set the phone down, and collapsed into tears.

Just then, David came in the door. He took one look at her, and knew what happened, and went to her and just held her.

"We got this, babe. We are going to get through this, I promise".

He held her for a long, long time, and then she sat up.

"Will you go with me to the doctors at 1 tomorrow?"

"Sure, babe. Whatever you need."

Chris grabbed her phone and texted Lisa and asked her to pick up Miranda from school.

"Sure! Do you need me to do it just for today, or tomorrow, too?"

"If you can do it both days, that would be immensely helpful actually."

"Sure!"

David stayed there with Chris, and they agreed that they would fight this head on, and do whatever the doctor said was her best option.

He ordered them some sushi, and some onion soup, and had it delivered.

She was in a weird spot. She couldn't believe she had to do this all over again. She thought she had fought it with all of her might before and couldn't imagine round 2. This was going to be tough.

David texted Bridgit and asked her to come over, and she agreed.

They were eating their sushi, when Bridgit, and Lisa and Miranda all happened to arrive at the same time.

"Hi Aunt Chris! Hi David!". Hugs all around, and then the girls went and sat on the couch by Chris and David. Miranda ran to her room to change.

"Girls, I had a mammogram yesterday, and they found something. My doctor needle biopsied it, and it turns out I have breast cancer, again. So, we are going to need your help for the next few days".

The girls had tears in their eyes, and nodded.

"We told Miranda that there was a possibility, but she was at school when we found out that it is cancer, so she doesn't know yet. That's why we asked you to pick her up- we had literally just found out. Tomorrow, we have an appointment with her doctor at 1, and we aren't positive we will be done in time, so that's why we asked you to pick her up then too".

"I am happy to help. Whatever you need".

Both girls looked extremely sad, and concerned.

"Girls, I am going to fight this. I promise. I beat it once, and I will beat it again".

They nodded, and wiped their eyes.

"We just feel so bad, because we love you so much and we are always saying we need to spend more time together, but we don't want to bother you or annoy you, and yet, the whole time, we didn't think about the fact that we might not have much time left".

"Girls, you could never annoy me or bother me. You are welcome here anytime, you know that. And I am going to beat this, I promise. It's going to take a lot more than cancer to take me out of the game."

They were laughing, and crying at the same time.

Chris and David ordered Chinese food for everyone for dinner, and the girls agreed to stay. Bridgit went and picked Charli up from the babysitters and came back.

Lisa and Chris were chatting on the couch when Bridgit and Charli got back, and Chris actually looked so happy and alert. David was in Miranda's room, telling Miranda that it was in fact cancer.

She took it well, and he assured her that she would make it through.

He heard the doorbell, and he and Miranda went out to the den.

David paid for the food, and Miranda went over and hugged Chris for a long time.

"I'm gonna be ok, sweetheart. But Lisa and Bridgit are going to be helping out for a while, so it might be them doing stuff with you instead of me, ok?"

"That's fine! I love it when they come over".

They all got up and had a nice dinner, and then Chris went back to the couch. She was getting more and more sore. Bridgit and Lisa cleaned up the kitchen, and then came and sat with her on the couch. They started asking her about when she was younger and her life experiences. She had a ball telling them about her life, and that led to her telling them about her favorite cases that she had worked on. She told them all about the Mansfield case, and also the less exciting ones, like the one where the courier was strangling all the women who worked at a Hot Line.

"You have lived such a wonderful life, Aunt Chris."

"I have been very blessed".

"So, I will pick Miranda up tomorrow, and bring her home. Can I do anything else?"

"Not right now. We will know more after our doctor's appointment. We will let you know".

The girls nodded.

They stood up and grabbed their things, and told Chris they would see her tomorrow.

"Good night, we love you". They hugged her, and yelled goodbye to Miranda, and then left.

Chris headed to the bedroom and put on her pajamas, and climbed in to bed. David told Miranda good night, and then locked the doors and set the alarm and got her some fresh water.

He came and joined her in bed, and held her all night long. Neither one of them got much sleep though.

***Wednesday***

David let Chris sleep in, and he got up and got breakfast ready for Miranda, and then took her to school. When he got back home, Chris was just waking up. He had stopped and gotten her favorite omelet from the deli down the street, and brought it back for her. He had her plate ready with fresh squeezed OJ all ready for her when she woke up. She ate, and then headed to soak in a hot bath. After her bath, she jumped in the shower and washed her hair and then got dressed for the appointment. She usually tried to dress cute, but she wasn't feeling it today. She chose distressed jeans, her UGG slip ons, and a black tank top with a long hunter green cardigan.

She put on a little bit of makeup, and quickly blew her hair dry. She grabbed her puffy jacket and was ready to go. David walked her to the car, and helped her in, and then they drove to the appointment.

***Dr. Larson's office***

David parked the car and he and Chris walked inside. She checked in and paid the copay, and sat down next to David.

She had brought some water with her, and she was so glad she had, because she always got thirsty when she was nervous.

The nurse called them back, and ushered them into a room. She took Chris' vitals, and then told them the doctor would be right in.

Dr. Larson knocked on the door about a minute later, and everyone exchanged pleasantries.

"I know this seems like the worst news. But I really do think we caught it early, Christine. Much earlier than last time, I believe. I have a couple options for you, as far as treatment. My number one option would be to do a lumpectomy. We would go in, remove the lump and some of the surrounding tissue to be cautious, and a lymph node or two, and then we stitch you up. If your breast is now misshapen, we can fill it or fit you with a prosthesis. Option 2 would be a mastectomy, which would eliminate any chance of a recurrence. And we could also do a combo thing, like we start out doing a lumpectomy, and if we need to we end up doing a mastectomy. If a mastectomy happens, I recommend reconstruction- they have streamlined that process to the point where it's basically routine. The third option would be to not remove anything, and do chemo. I don't recommend that though, because the recurrence rate as well as the chances of it not working are both very high. So, my recommendations are to do a lumpectomy, or a mastectomy, or a combo of either one of those. We would do it at Manhattan General, and you are talking a 1, maybe 2 night stay at the most. If a mastectomy is performed, we would do reconstruction right then, if possible. If not, you would have it done in about 3 weeks."

Chris nodded, and tried to take it all in.

"I will do whatever you suggest, Dr. You are the professional".

Dr. Larson nodded. She opened the cabinet and got out a set of prosthetics.

"If you ever wanted to be a different size, now is your chance. So, take a look at these and pick the size that you want, and I will note it in your chart for the surgeon".

Chris looked at them for a little bit. She had always thought about going a size smaller, but lifted. She finally decided on a 36C, which was two sizes down from what she had.

"Surgery will be Thursday morning, at 9. You should be home by Saturday, late afternoon".

"Thank you, dr."

The doctor shook hands with both of them, and grasped Chris' hand. "I promise you, this will all be ok".

Chris nodded, and then they left.

She stopped by the checkout desk.

"Here are the forms you need to sign, and here are some to take home, and you get to pick 2 envelopes off the tree to take with you now, and at your follow-up visit, you will get to pick another and ring the bell".

She picked two envelopes, and they went home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris and David walked in, and sat down. Chris was overwhelmed with everything and needed to decompress.

David texted Lisa, asking where they were. She stated they would be home in a few minutes.

"I think your aunt would appreciate some Starbucks and a few hugs".

"On it".

David went and sat with Chris, and put his arm around her.

They just sat there on the couch, not saying anything.

A few minutes later, Lisa and Miranda walked in. Miranda put her stuff down, and came over and hugged Chris for a long time.

"I'm going to be okay, sweetheart. You are going to have to stay here while I am in the hospital, ok? You want Bridgit and Lisa to come stay?"

"Yes!".

"Ok, deal".

She ran to her room to start her homework, and Lisa came over. She put the Starbucks down in front of her and hugged Chris.

"You get the same speech, my dear. I am going to be just fine".

Lisa nodded.

"Can you stay with Miranda while I am in the hospital? It would only be Thursday night, because she is going to a friend's house on Friday night for the weekend. So, she would need to be taken to and picked up from school Thursday and Friday. After you get home on Friday, she will be picked up by her friend, and then we will be home either Friday or Saturday. Bridgit is welcome to stay here too, if she'd like".

"We got this, Aunt Chris. No worries".

David got up and looked over Chris' paperwork for before surgery. No dietary restrictions.

"Babe, why don't we call Bridgit and have her come over? And I will take all of us out to dinner".

"Sounds like a plan, babe".

Chris texted Bridgit to come to their apartment, and go to dinner with them. Bridgit responded that she and Charli would be right over.

Chris made a list of things for Lisa and Bridgit to know about Miranda's schedule and what times they had to get her up and where stuff was. She wrote out a letter for the school that stated that Lisa and/or Bridgit had permission to check her out of school if she was sick on those two days.

Bridgit arrived about 20 minutes later, and found them all sitting on the couch, talking.

She put Charli down, and came over to Chris and gave her a huge hug.

"You got this, Aunt Chris. You are going to kick it's ass, like you did the last time".

"You're right, I am going to do just that".

Chris filled them in on the plan, and then went to get ready for dinner.

She freshened up some, and just as she was about to leave the bedroom, the girls came in, asking to borrow her straightener.

She flipped the light back on and let them in the bathroom, and stayed in there with them while they got ready.

"So are you doing chemo?"

"No, the doctor thinks the best option is either a lumpectomy or a mastectomy with reconstruction. So, I am following her advice. That's what is happening on Thursday".

"You will love fake boobs if you get them, Aunt Chris. You can do anything with them! They are life changing!"

Chris didn't look convinced.

"I am serious, Aunt Chris. Bridgit had hers done after high school, and then I did too".

Lisa had on a tank top with a cardigan. "You can feel them if you want".

Chris hesitated, and then reached up and touched one. They felt very normal and natural. Chris was starting to relax about the whole process.

Lisa grabbed her own boob and one of Bridgit's. Bridgit grabbed her other boob and one of Chris'. David came in just as they all had grabbed a boob, to tell them it was time to go. He saw what was happening, and his eyes got really big and then he turned and left. The girls erupted in a fit of laughter.

The girls finished getting ready, and then went to the den. They all left to go to dinner. Chris told him she would explain it to him later.

They got in the Range Rover, and David asked Chris where she wanted to go.

"Let's go somewhere we haven't been before. Anyone got any ideas?"

Everyone tossed out restaurant names, and then Lisa suddenly remembered a place she had been wanting to go.

"How about Fire Mountain?"

"What's that?"

"It's a really cool restaurant that I read about where you can grill your own dinner, at your table. You select the meat and grill it and then they bring you side dishes".

"That sounds good to me".

They headed to Fire mountain, to have a nice dinner.

***Fire Mountain***

They got a table for 5, and headed to pick out their meats. Chris chose a steak and lobster tail, and David chose steak and scallops. Miranda chose a ribeye steak, and Bridgit and Lisa both chose chicken.

The tables were like hibachi tables, where the grill was right there in front of you, and they brought you all the grilling utensils you needed. You could even grill your own side dishes if you wanted to.

David ordered the spice and marinade tray for the table, and an appetizer.

After about 30 minutes, they were done grilling, and everyone was starting to eat. David had grilled Chris' steak and lobster perfectly. He could tell she was tired.

They had a nice dinner, and then David paid the check and they headed home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

They came in and put their stuff down, and then Bridgit and Lisa said goodnight to Miranda and Chris and David and promised to be there at 5:45 on Thursday morning, so they could go to the hospital.

"Thank you sweetheart". Chris hugged her goodnight, and she and Bridgit left.

Chris headed to the bedroom, and put a waterproof bandage over her incision site, and was just about to run a bath when David came in.

"Hot tub, babe? Might be our last time for a while…"

"Good idea. What about Miranda?"

"She is doing her homework, and she just told me she was going to bed soon".

Chris changed into her purple ruffled bandeau top and black bikini bottoms, and grabbed them some beach towels. Before she left the bathroom, she took a quick selfie in the mirror, just because. She went and fixed them each a drink and then headed out to the hot tub. David was already in the hot tub, waiting on Chris.

He helped her in, and they snuggled up as they gazed at the stars, and enjoyed soaking.

"Just think, babe, in a month, we will be even higher up than we are right now".

"Honey, with my cancer coming back, do you think we should postpone the move?"

"No, babe I don't. I think you will be totally healed by then, and besides, we are paying for people to pack us and unpack us, so it's not like you are really going to have a lot to do. I think we should leave it at the time it is, because otherwise, you will have more to stress about".

"You are right. We can leave it".

They soaked for a long time, and Chris finished her club soda with lime. David offered to go get her another one.

He put on his robe, and went to the kitchen to make her another drink. He checked on Miranda and found that she was fast asleep.

He went back out to the hot tub, and handed Chris her drink, and climbed in.

They snuggled up again, and he rubbed her shoulders for her, and then started kissing her neck.

"Honey….what about Miranda?" Chris and David had not had hot tub sex since Miranda had moved in.

"She's fast asleep babe".

Chris kissed him, and climbed on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He grabbed her boobs and squeezed them, and kissed her neck again. He was careful to avoid her incision.

She kissed him hungrily.

"I need you, honey. I need to feel alive".

"Right here with you babe, the whole time".

He kissed her again, and then untied her bikini bottoms, and they had mad, passionate, sex right there in the hot tub. She was vocal, but not overly loud, and she loved how it made her feel.

He sucked on her nipples some, and then they got out and headed inside. He helped her dry off, and she changed into a negligee that he loved. He went and locked the door, set the alarm, and got her a glass of water.

They climbed into bed, and made love for a couple hours, and then fell asleep.

***Thursday morning***

Chris set her alarm for 4:45. She got up, showered, and dressed, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She decided to dress casual, and chose her sweats with a baseball tee, and some slip on shoes.

She had spent Wednesday packing her bag, and had bought herself some new pajamas that buttoned up the front so she could get them on and off easier, and some cami tops to put on as well.

David got up with her, and made himself a quick cup of coffee, and grabbed a couple cereal bars.

Lisa got there right on time at 5:40, and knocked on the door.

"Morning".

"Morning sweetie". She came on in, and she and Chris went over the schedule and everything for the next two days.

David went to get Miranda up, and Chris reminded Lisa that if anything serious happened, she could always call him and he could leave and come to her if she needed.

"We will be fine, Aunt Chris, honest".

"I know, I know."

Chris put the schedule on the fridge, and told Lisa how they had stocked the fridge for her.

"Help yourself to whatever you want, seriously. You are welcome to sleep in our bed, or there is the roll away in the office".

David came out of Miranda's room.

Miranda followed him, half asleep.

She sleepily hugged Chris goodbye, and Lisa hello.

"Babe, we gotta go".

David grabbed their bags, and Chris gave Miranda a hug, and Lisa one too.

She and David left, and headed to the hospital.

***Manhattan General***

Chris got checked in, and then was given a room. The nurse came in and gave her a gown to put on, and told her to open it to the front.

"You can lay back down in the bed, because this is the bed they will use to roll you to the operating room".

She got up and went to the bathroom, and changed into her gown while she was in there. She was grateful she had had the forethought to take a selfie in her bathing suit the other night. Her last selfie with her natural boobs, more than likely. The doctor came in a little while later, and did a final examination.

She marked the spot with a pen, and then a nurse came in to start the IV for Chris.

David gave Chris a few kisses, and the doctor went over aftercare instructions once more, and then they wheeled Chris to the operating room.

"I'll be right here, babe. I love you".

"Love you honey". She kissed him goodbye before they wheeled her out.

***A few hours later***

David went downstairs, and got food from the cafeteria. He sent the girls some texts, and told them Chris had been taken back to surgery, and that she would be in room 702 later, if they wanted to come by after she was awake.

About 3 hours into the surgery, the nurse came and told him they were almost finished and that she would be out in a couple hours.

Her surgery had started at 8:30, and at 1:45, they rolled her back into her room. She was still out of it, and the doctor assured David she would sleep for another hour or so.

"We did the lumpectomy, but we had to take more than we originally planned. We didn't have to do a full mastectomy, so there wasn't any reconstruction today, but she will probably want to visit that in the future. I am extremely confident that we got it all though. I will be back later to see her when I am on my rounds".

David thanked her and the dr. left.

Chris slept for the next 4 hours, and the nurse brought a bed in for David when he told her he was staying with her. They lowered the inside rails on both beds, and then David pushed the beds together. He crawled in and turned the TV down low, and watched TV and catnapped while he waited for her to wake up. He texted the girls and Mary Beth and Brian that she was out of surgery.

Chris woke up around 3, and was hungry and in some pain.

David paged the nurse right away, and they gave her some non-drowsy pain pills, and helped her sit up so she could eat.

She had bandages wrapped all around her and the nurse told her to not lift her arms higher than her chest.

David explained to her while she ate that the doctor had come by and had mentioned that they did a lumpectomy, not a mastectomy, and while they took more than they planned, they didn't do the reconstruction.

Chris looked dismayed. She couldn't imagine what it looked like, and honestly, she didn't want to, really.

She felt the pain meds kick in, and she felt a lot better after she ate. She was glad she had packed her water bottle, as she was extremely thirsty. David went and filled it for her, and grabbed a few bottles of water from the vending machine while he was next to it.

Around 5, there was a knock on the door. The door opened, and the girls walked in.

"Hi Aunt Chris! How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok. I haven't been awake very long".

They all three came over and kissed her and then Miranda climbed up on David's bed, and Bridgit and Lisa sat in chairs on Chris' side. They chatted with her a bit, and Miranda told them all about how Lisa took her for cinnamon rolls and Starbucks for breakfast before school, and pizza after school.

"Today was pizza day at school- you wanted to have it again?"

"I didn't get to eat lunch at school. This boy, Ryan Andrews, locked me and 2 other girls in the science lab, and by the time someone found us, lunch was over. So I didn't get to eat at all."

David was not happy about that at all.

"How did he do that?"

"My class right before lunch is in the science lab, and I sit on the other side across from the door. I was the last one to leave when the bell rang, and he shut the door and locked it before I could get out."

"Has he done this before?"

"He locks me and 2 other girls in at least one classroom each day. But this was the first time he did it at lunch".

David made a mental note to call Miranda's guidance counselor and inform them of this.

"When I picked her up, she said she was starving, and asked for pizza so we went to Grimaldi's".

"You did the right thing, thanks for taking her".

David and Miranda chatted about how if that were to happen again, he wanted her to pull her phone out and call him, and he would call the school.

Chris stated she was hungry again, and they tossed ideas around. David agreed to order whatever as long as it could be delivered.

They finally settled on boneless wings and fries. They placed the order, and Bridgit went to get Chris more water.

They chatted and just hung out till the food got there, and then ate.

After they were done, the girls got up to leave so Chris could get some rest.

"We will see you when you get home. We love you!"

Light hugs and kisses all around, and the girls left.

Chris had David help her get out of bed so she could go to the bathroom, and she tried to wash her face but she couldn't lift that high, so he helped her.

They had a few kisses and then he helped her get back in bed, just in time for the nurse to come and check her vitals. She took another pain pill, and the nurse told her she would be back in a couple hours to check her vitals again.

She texted Mary Beth and told her that the surgery had gone well, and she was ready to get home.

They agreed to meet for lunch in the coming weeks, and then she put the phone on the charger that David set up for her, and laid back and tried to relax and rest.

Dr. Larson came by once more, at 8, and talked to her for a few minutes. She told her she was pleased with how everything went, and explained that they took more than they planned, but not enough to warrant a mastectomy with reconstruction.

"Reconstruction is still an option for you, though. I am happy to sit with you whenever and explore that, after you are done healing from this one".

"Thank you. When can I go home?"

"If you are able to make it through the night with minimal pain and no fever, I don't see why you can't go home tomorrow afternoon, late. But you will have to take it easy- quick showers with waterproof bandages only, and no lifting anything over a pound or lifting high above your head for the first 3 days. Come to my office next Wednesday, and I will take the stitches out. You have no dietary restrictions, but I am recommending very little salt as sometimes after surgeries like this, salt makes the incision swell. Drink plenty of water, and get plenty of rest, and don't be afraid to make your husband do everything for you, that's what they are for".

Chris chuckled a little bit.

"Sometimes, this pain medicine that you are taking has the side effect of intense food cravings. Since you aren't on any dietary restrictions, except salt, I would encourage you to give in to them. No harm in that."

She checked the incision then, and then left.

They watched TV for about a half hour, and then Chris fell asleep. She slept for about 45 minutes, and woke up, just as the news was coming on.

"Honey…. I have to have some watermelon juice. I have to have some!"

"Ok, babe. I will see if I can find you some". He ran to the vending machines, but they didn't have any fresh juice.

He came back to the room, and grabbed his phone. He texted the girls.

"Ya'll still up? Chris has a craving".

"Yes. We can bring her whatever she wants".

"She wants watermelon juice. Any idea on where to get that?"  
"Hmm…".

Bridgit thought for a moment and then texted back. "Ask her if she wants the fake watermelon flavor juice, or if she wants the fresh fruit watermelon juice from a juice bar".

David asked Chris.

"I want the one that Bridgit brought to our house on our pool days".

He texted that back to Bridgit, and she responded that she knew of an all-night juice bar, and would be there soon.

About 30 minutes later, she walked into Chris' hospital room, with 3 large juices. One for Chris, plus a refill one, and one for herself.

"Thank you! You are an angel".

Chris started sucking down her juice, and she and Bridgit held hands for a few minutes, and then Bridgit kissed her goodnight and left again.

Chris drank both juices, and then fell asleep. David got up and changed into his pajamas, and then got in bed beside her. Just before he fell asleep, the nurse came and checked her vitals without waking her up, and then left. David got up and hit the lights, and got back in bed.

He and Chris slept all night, and didn't wake up till 7.

***Friday morning***

Chris and David woke up around 7. Chris was glad that she had been able to sleep all night without the heavy pain medicine. David ran to the cafeteria and had them make her an omelet, and grabbed her some toast and juice, and his breakfast and came back. He and Chris ate their breakfast, and the nurse came in and checked on her again.

Around 9, Dr. Larson came in and removed her bandage, and checked her incision. She put some waterproof bandages over the incisions and told Chris she could take a shower.

"Hallelujah!".

She told Chris she could try lifting, but not to overdo it.

"Your incisions really do look good. You are healing very, very well".

"Thank you, doctor."

She left, and David helped Chris get up and they headed to the bathroom.

He helped her get undressed and get in the shower, and he sat in the bathroom while she did. She only had mild discomfort, and she was able to shampoo and condition her hair without too much pain. She got out and David helped her dry off, and then helped her get dressed again. She brushed her teeth and washed her face really well, and then headed back to the bed. She felt so much better after having a shower.

She and David laid around for a few hours, and he had her favorite salad place deliver them salads for lunch. She got up after she ate and started packing up her things a bit, because she was really hoping she could go home.

The doctor came in around 2 and told her she was being discharged, as soon as the paperwork was ready.

"Awesome! Thank you".

She changed into her going home outfit, and then finished getting her stuff packed up.

The nurses took forever getting her paperwork ready, and it was close to 5 before she was able to leave.

By 6, she was home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Dr. Larson had given David some paperwork about what to expect for the next few days, and told him to call her if they had any questions.

He put the paperwork on the fridge, and helped Chris get settled on the couch, with a few pillows from the bed and her favorite blanket.

Lisa and Bridgit returned about 30 minutes later from taking Miranda to her friend's house for the weekend.

"Hi Aunt Chris! You look so good! I know you are glad to be home!".

"Yes, I am."

"Well, we just dropped Miranda off at Stacy's. Here is the address and phone number. Miranda said she would call you and let you know if you need to come pick her up or if they were going to drop her off when they get in the city".

"Thanks".

"You have fresh sheets on your bed, and the towels are all washed, dried, and put away. Thanks for trusting us with Miranda, and letting us stay here".

"Thank you so much for taking care of her. We don't worry when she is with you guys".

The girls headed to Chris and David's room to get their stuff. Chris got up and followed them, because she wanted to put on a different top.

She was avoiding looking at herself in the mirror. She just wasn't ready yet.

She changed quickly and then helped them gather their things. They hugged goodbye and the girls left, and she went to the kitchen to get a drink. She was starting to get hungry. She was suddenly craving steaks, with garlic butter.

She opened the freezer and got out 2 steaks and started to defrost them. They were nice, thick, ribeyes.

David got out the mixer for her like she asked, and set it up. She got out her cookbook and started making the garlic butter. He mixed a marinade while she assembled the ingredients for the butter.

After they were done, they marinated the steaks and chilled the butter for an hour. David was going to grill the steaks for them outside.

"Babe, we could have a hot tub date after dinner if you want. You might feel better if you soak a bit".

"We can probably do that, if I am feeling ok".

She got up and went to the bedroom and started going through her bathing suits. She found one that she thought would be the biggest, and she forced herself to go try it on in the mirror.

She wasn't able to fasten it behind her, so she had to do it "junior high style", and fasten it in front and spin it.

She gingerly pulled it up and placed it over where her boobs would be. But try as she might, she couldn't get it to look good.

Her left breast resembled a half-drained beach ball, and her right one looked like a dried up prune. Her nipples were displaced on both sides, and very, very sensitive. Both boobs were lopsided, but not symmetrical. No matter how she turned or looked at it, she didn't look like a regular woman anymore. She tried to hold the tears back, but it was no use. She hated how she looked and didn't feel normal or natural.

She tried a few other tops, but the results were the same. She finally gave up and went back to the den.

David could tell she had been crying, and decided to broach the subject very delicately.

She got out the silverware and started setting the table. He noticed this, and grabbed some plates for her.

He grilled their steaks and she made some rice, and they had a nice dinner. She felt bad asking David to cut her steak for her, but she didn't want to push it on too much motion.

He insisted on cleaning up the kitchen so she could rest.

As she got up from the table, she decided to make them both drinks for the hot tub. After she had the drinks made, she went to change. She selected a bathing suit, and didn't look in the mirror as she put it on. Then, she grabbed a tank top and put it on over the bathing suit. She checked to make sure the waterproof bandage was secure, and then headed to the hot tub. She stopped and grabbed them two towels on the way, and the wireless speaker. She had everything set up outside, and all they were waiting for was David to get the cover off and turn the hot tub on. She went and got their drinks and brought them outside.

After David got the cover off, they climbed in, and soaked. David was careful to not push her, and to let her just feel what she was going to feel.

"Are you in any pain, babe?"

"Not unless I look in the mirror".

"Babe, you are still just as gorgeous as you ever were".

He rubbed her shoulders and her neck, and got a lot of her stress out. He was gentle around her shoulder blades, and rubbed her lower back as well. She was enjoying it and let him touch her, and rub her back. She even let him kiss her neck for a few minutes.

They switched and she rubbed his back and shoulders, and then rubbed on his chest some, and scratched his back a little. They soaked a little longer, and then got out.

He helped her with her towel, and kissed her, and then she headed inside while he closed up the hot tub.

He found her in the bathroom, struggling to get her top off. He helped her undo it, and she quickly changed into her pajamas, and she took the waterproof bandage off, and put on a regular one. She climbed into bed, while David went and locked the door and set the alarm, and got her a fresh glass of water.

It took a few minutes for her to get adjusted and comfortable, but once she did, it hit her how tired she really was, and she fell asleep very fast. She slept all night.

***Saturday***

David woke up, and let Chris sleep in. He ordered some bagels, cream cheese, lox, and fresh OJ and had it delivered to their house. They had nothing planned for the whole day, because Dr. Larson had warned him that she would need to rest and might feel worse after the first day.

David was sitting on the couch, going through their house papers, and making a list of things they needed to do and when. Up next was applying for permits and deeds, and he wanted to contact the HOA to see if they had to pay for the whole year, or if it would be prorated. He also wanted to sit down with Chris and make a final decision on paint colors. He logged onto the condo website and found his homeowner's association policy manual, and printed it.

Chris woke up around 9, and was very sore and achy. David helped her get out of bed and into the kitchen, and he got her one of her pain pills to take with her breakfast. He was telling her about how he had made a list of what needed to happen next and how he wanted them to nail down the colors of the rooms so they could have it painted before they moved in.

She agreed to everything, and finished her bagel. He helped her get up and get settled on the couch.

They went through the paint chips that they had, and decided on bright blue for the kitchen, and a lighter blue for the living room. They chose a light celery for their bedroom and bathroom. Chris chose a deep plum for the inside of her closet, and David chose a light yellow for his office. They had decided to let Miranda choose her colors, so Chris left that part of the list blank.

They decided to go with white, everywhere else in the house. Chris made a list of questions for them to ask the homeowner's association about, and then she went and took a nap.

She slept for about 2 hours, and then woke up to eat lunch. David made her tomato basil soup and grilled cheese, and after she was done, she headed back to bed to lay down. She had decided to watch a movie, and was selecting one when David came in the room.

He had just climbed into the bed with her, when they heard a knock at the door.

David went to get it and found Lisa and Miranda on the other side.

Miranda immediately started yelling. "Dad, she is being totally unfair!"

"Miranda, what is wrong?"

"She humiliated me in front of my new friends, and started acting like my parent. I am NEVER talking to her again!"

Miranda stormed off and headed to her room, where she slammed the door.

Chris called out for Lisa, and Lisa headed to her bedroom. David went to Miranda.

"Hi Aunt Chris. I apologize for barging in. How are you feeling?"

"That's ok. I'm a little sore, but I'm ok".

"That's good. You look great".

"Thanks. So, what happened with Miranda?"

"I really shouldn't tell you-she needs to be the one to tell you guys what happened."

David came in and stated that Miranda wasn't ready to speak to anyone.

"Do you mind filling us in?"

"I guess, but let her tell you what happened, too."

They agreed.

"So, I went to a party at a friend's house in the country today. They have this big farm and there's a pond, and 4wheelers, and bonfires. So, we went outside and we were waiting on our friends to get there. We could tell someone had a bonfire started down in the woods, so we got on the 4wheeler and headed down there. It wasn't our friends, so we decided to head back. Jason, the guy who owns the house, decided he wanted to go check his wildlife traps on a backroad on the other side of the pond, so we rode with him. We get down there and we see a car being driven with someone riding on the hood. We were all talking about how dangerous this was, and how they were lucky it was a backroad and not a publicly trafficked road, and then we see the car turn around and come back. So, we pull over to give them space, and as they get closer I can tell that the driver is Miranda. So, I told Jason, and he blocked the road basically forcing them to stop, and I made her get out and come with me. We went back to the house, and grabbed her things from Stacy's, and then we came straight here. She kept saying she was being careful, but every time I tried to tell her how dangerous that was, she would start screaming and yelling at me, so we basically stopped talking."

"She was driving the car?"

"Yes, she was. And she admitted that, in the beginning".

"Well, I am sorry that she is mad at you, because I know how close ya'll are, but thank you very much for being responsible and bringing her home. She will be punished".

Lisa and Chris chatted a little longer, and David went to Miranda's room, and got her to open the door.

He marched her into their bedroom, and Lisa got up to leave, but he asked her to stay.

"Lisa tells us that she observed you driving a car. Is that true?"

"Yes, it is. But I had permission".

"Unless you had permission from the state of New York, it's not good enough. You know you are not old enough to drive. And furthermore, you were driving recklessly".

"I wasn't driving recklessly, I wasn't even going 40 miles an hour".

"You had someone on the hood, Miranda. You know better than that".

"Well, Lisa still didn't have to overreact and humiliate me in front of my friends. She could have told you guys later and we could have dealt with it without me being embarrassed".

"The bottom line is, she did the right thing, you did the wrong thing, and because of it, you are losing your phone for 1 month, and you are not allowed to leave the house except to go places with us or to school. Hand it over".

She handed him her phone, and then glared at Lisa. "I never want to see you ever again. We are no longer friends".

Chris looked at Miranda. "Honey, I understand that you are mad at Lisa. I don't agree with it, but I respect it. However, she is my niece, and she is going to be at our home, so you won't be able to avoid her forever".

David nodded in agreement. "Lisa is still welcome here, regardless of how you feel about her. It would be different if you were the victim here, but you aren't. You are just angry because you were in the wrong and got caught".

Miranda didn't say anything, and angrily stalked off to her room.

Lisa had tears rolling down her face, and looked at Chris. "I'm so sorry".

"You have nothing to apologize for, honey. She was in the wrong, you were in the right, and you did the right thing".

They comforted Lisa a little bit, and then she left. Miranda still hadn't been out of her room.

Chris napped after that, and woke up around 5. David was making margarita lime chicken, and wild rice. He had made her a salad, and chopped it just the way she liked.

She came into the kitchen, and started making coconut sweet tea, and set the table.

David got all the food ready, and went and told Miranda that she had 5 minutes to get to the table.

She came out and refused to say anything. They mostly ate in silence, and as soon as she was finished, Miranda took her plate to the sink, rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher and then grabbed her glass, filled it with ice water, and headed to her room again.

She didn't come out the rest of the night.

Chris and David decided that she couldn't be mad forever, so they would just wait it out.

***Sunday***

They all slept late, and had a lazy Sunday morning. David made everyone omelets, and then went to the grocery store. He allowed Miranda to go with him to the grocery store. She also asked him if they could go to the apple store and get her ipad fixed, and he agreed.

He took a look at her ipad, and saw that she only used it for reading and schoolwork. He decided to let her keep it.

Chris stayed home and rested while they went, and helped them unload the groceries when they got back.

"Did she say anything else about Lisa while you guys were gone?"

"No. She didn't say anything about much of anything, really".

"Well she is going to have to get over it, because we are still taking our vacation at the end of January right? Lisa and Bridgit are the only ones who can stay with her".

"I'm sure she will be just fine by then".

Miranda came out of her room.

"Can I use a phone to call Grandma and Grampa?"

"Sure. You can use my phone."

He handed it to her. She took it into her room and talked with them for about 30 minutes.

She brought the phone back to David.

"They want to take me to dinner tonight, if that's ok. They said they will pick me up and drop me off back home. Can I go?"

"Yes, you may".

She called Grandma back and told her she could go and they agreed on 5 p.m.

She went back to her room, and Chris and David finished putting the groceries away.

She settled on to the couch afterwards, and David made her some more soup for lunch.

Miranda's grandparents came by around 4:45, and they chatted briefly and then took her to dinner. They promised to have her back by 9.

David asked Chris if she felt like going out to dinner, and she said not really. So, they ordered in from their favorite sushi place, and watched a movie on the couch.

Chris grabbed her phone and texted Lisa. "Just checking on you. You ok?"

"I am sad, but I am dealing with it. I know she will come around in time".

"That's right. We are just waiting it out".

They texted back and forth a little longer, and then Chris got up to take a bath. She decided to use some of her dead sea bath salts, and ran the bath and undressed. She climbed into the bath, and soaked for a long time. After the water got cold, she got out and drained the tub, and put on her pajamas.

David was in the den, and Miranda had just gotten home.

Chris came into the den just as Miranda slammed her door.

"What's wrong now?"

"She's mad because we were talking about the family vacation that we were all going to take and I asked her about picking her excursions. I was trying to plan our trip, and I figured if we went to a resort ourselves and earned credits, we could use those credits on the family vacation. So, I was asking her what types of excursions she wanted to do, and she freaked out because I refused to allow Lisa to be excluded from the trip".

Chris embraced him, and told him she would come around.

"Should we invite the girls over for dinner, or for lunch?"

"I don't know. I would love to, they are always welcome. I just don't want to start the argument all over again".

"Well, what if we invite them over, and then we just lay down the law with Miranda and tell her that she doesn't have to speak to Lisa, but she does have to be respectful. Maybe if we force her to spend time with her, she will remember why she liked her so much, or they will talk it out".

"Well, I guess it's worth a shot. I will text her and see if she is up to it".

Chris texted Lisa and asked her if she was willing to come to dinner tomorrow night.

"Sure".

"Ok cool. We are going to tell Miranda that she doesn't have to speak to you, but she does have to be respectful, so just know that there are no guarantees about how she will be behaving, other than respectfully."

"It's fine. She will come around, eventually".

Chris texted Bridgit too, and asked her and Charli to come as well. Bridgit responded yes.

David went and locked the door, and set the alarm. He checked on Miranda and found her asleep, and then got Chris a fresh glass of water and joined her in bed.

They watched the news and snuggled up, and David got a little frisky. Chris didn't stop him, and they ended up making love and falling asleep.

***Monday***

David woke up and got breakfast started. Miranda got up and made herself some cereal, and chocolate milk. She begged David to let her stay home, but he wouldn't budge.

"You did something dangerous and that you shouldn't have done, and you are going to pay the consequences. You cannot avoid school because you don't want to face your friends, sorry".

Miranda grumbled, but she got ready for school anyways. David took her while Chris slept in.

Chris woke up just as David was getting back home and she was trying to figure out what to make the girls for dinner. She finally decided on stuffed pasta shells and salad. She decided to spend the day wrapping everyone's Christmas gifts, and getting those organized.

David spent the day working in the office for most of the day, and running errands for another part of the day.

She got everyone's gifts wrapped and then went and prepped dinner.

David picked Miranda up at 3, and when they got home, he had the chat with her about how she has to be respectful to Lisa.

"If by respectful you mean ignore every single thing she says, I was already going to do that anyways".

"Miranda, you were the one who did something wrong. Not Lisa. You can't blame her forever."

"She didn't have to humiliate me in front of my friends like that".

"How exactly did she humiliate you?"

"She yelled at me in front of everyone, and she made me leave early. She made me the laughing stock of all my friends".

"Did you stop to think that maybe she was trying to protect you from getting hurt? Or from hurting someone? And if you hadn't been doing the wrong thing, there wouldn't have been a reason for her to bring you home or to yell at you".

"She was supposed to be my friend and not tell you guys. I cannot trust her, and if I cannot trust her, then I am not going to talk to her".

Miranda turned and went to her room.

David sighed.

Chris kissed him and told him what she had planned for dinner. She started prepping it, and he could tell she was feeling a lot better.

"I think the dead sea bath salts that I used really helped. They are supposed to be healing".

She got dinner ready and put it in the fridge. She then started chopping the veggies for a salad, and got out some garlic toast to bake.

Lisa texted around 4 that she was on her way.

Bridgit and Charli had said they would be there around 5.

Chris silently prayed that this would go well, and there would be peace in the house.

She went and sat on the couch, and started watching the news, while she waited for the girls.

Mary Beth texted her, asking how she was feeling.

"Much better. My boobs look gross, but I will have the reconstruction. Actually, the hardest thing right now is that Miranda has been grounded and is making us miserable for doing so".

"Welcome to Parenthood. She will get over it, or her punishment will end, whichever comes first. Just remember the days are long but the years are very short".

"Thanks. She's actually not speaking to Lisa because Lisa is the one who told us what had taken place, so we are having a family dinner with everyone tonight in hopes that it can be resolved. We are either crazy or brilliant, I don't know which".

Pretty soon there was a knock on the door.

Chris got up and answered the door, and let Lisa in. They exchanged hugs, and Lisa told her she had a gift for her, but she had to give it to her in private.

Lisa came in and took her coat off, and set her purse down.

David went and knocked on Miranda's door, and told her that Lisa was there.

"I don't want to come out till dinner".

"Ok, but remember what we talked about-you are to be respectful".

"Got it".

Bridgit and Charli arrived soon after, and she had a gift for Chris too.

They went into Chris' room, and sat on the bed. She opened Lisa's gift first. It was a strapless bra that had a built in prosthesis. If Chris wore this, she would look like she had regular boobs.

"I love this! Thank you!" She hugged Lisa, and then opened Bridgit's gift.

Bridgit had brought her 2 bras that had openings for inserts and she had brought gel inserts that would also help to make it look like she had boobs.

"This is also perfect! I love it! Thank you honey".

They hugged and Chris sat back on the bed.

They were playing with Charli and talking when Miranda walked in.

She ignored Lisa, and was just playing with Charli.

Lisa tried to talk to her, but Miranda ignored her.

"Look what she can do now, you guys. This is her newest trick".

Bridgit sat Charli on the bed, and showed them how she can sit up on her own.

"Yay Charli!".

Everyone started clapping and she started smiling.

Lisa reached over and grabbed her foot, and Miranda swiftly picked Charli up and scooted her out of Lisa's reach.

"Miranda, why did you do that?"

"Because, Charli is too young to know that she shouldn't like Lisa. So, it's up to me to show her that and teach her that, and until she can do it on her own, it's up to me".

"Miranda!" Chris' tone was very firm.

"Miranda, Charli is MY daughter, and Lisa is my sister, and if I didn't want my sister around my child, then she wouldn't be. I got this". Bridgit was very short-tempered when her family was attacked.

David heard the chaos and started to come in to the room.

Lisa stood up and looked at Miranda.

"If you truly understood why I did what I did, and could stop acting like a spoiled immature brat for five seconds, you wouldn't be mad at me at all, Miranda".

"I know why you told on me. You were jealous that we didn't invite you to come along".

"Jealous? Not hardly. I have adult friends because I am an adult, Miranda. And I will remind you that I left my party because of you. My weekend was ruined too. But am I mad at you for that? No, I am not".

"If you weren't jealous, then why did you insist on humiliating me in front of my friends?"

"Because I was trying to save your life!"

Lisa was near tears, but she was keeping it in check.

"Save my life? From who?"

"From yourself!"

Lisa took a deep breath.

"When I was 15, back in California, I was so excited one weekend because my best friend Ashlie got her learner's permit. Her sister Natalie was 17 and had just gotten her own car. She was going to take us to the mall that day. On the way home from the mall, Natalie suddenly pulled over in their neighborhood. She and Ashlie looked at each other and nodded. Natalie got out and got on the hood of the car, and Ashlie slid over into the driver's seat. I didn't want to be a part of it, so I got out and started walking home. They yelled at me and called me all kinds of names but I didn't care. I knew that if I had stayed in that car, my dad would have killed me. So, I decided it was better to have my friends mad at me, than it was to deal with my dad. So, they decide to leave me behind, and I am walking down the sidewalk. They pass me, and I see the whole thing- Natalie yelled for Ashlie to go faster, and Ashlie did, and then she hit a speedbump too fast and Natalie fell off. Ashlie hit the brakes, but she still ran over her sister. I ran to a neighbor's house and had them call 911, and then went to be with Ashlie. She was screaming and hysterical. Natalie was unconscious and bleeding very badly. The ambulance came and the police did too. They called my dad to come get me. I have never ever seen my mom and dad so panicked and upset. The aftermath was that Natalie ended up dying from her injuries about 2 weeks later. Ashlie was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and served 8 years in prison. She is now a felon- she can't vote, she can't get a regular job, she has an officer she has to report to and if she breaks any of their rules, she will be sent back to prison. Her life was taken away in an instant over a stupid decision- She lost any hope she had at going to college, she didn't even get to finish high school. And Natalie had a full scholarship to play tennis at USC- their parents were robbed too. They were robbed of ever seeing either one of their daughters graduate or become adults. And Ashlie's parents never really forgave her for it. They barely spoke to her in prison, and wouldn't let her move in with them when she got out. She rents a room in an old man's house, and it's disgusting. He's creepy, and she has nothing. She, like you, had a bright future at one point, and because of one bad decision, she lost it all. That's what I was trying to protect you from".

Everyone was crying. Miranda didn't really say anything.

Bridgit spoke up. "It was very hard on all of their friends too. My class lost a friend who was way too young to die. Lisa's class lost someone who was basically still there, but it wasn't the same."

Miranda nodded.

Chris finally spoke up.

"Do you understand how dangerous you were being?"

Miranda nodded.

She looked at Lisa.

"I'm sorry for the mean things I said to you. I was just angry".

"I know munchkin. It's ok".

Lisa wrapped her arm around Miranda's shoulder.

David had been standing in the doorway.

He walked in and stood at the foot of the bed.

"Miranda, I think what Lisa told you is an important step in you learning your lesson. Do you know how devastated I would have been if something had happened to you? Do you understand how angry I would have been if you had been injured because of that?"

She slowly nodded.

"Sweetheart, this isn't all on you. When Lisa told me what you were doing, I didn't envision it happening anywhere close to what she just described, nor did I consider that it could ever be as far reaching. Dad mistake. She has educated both of us, tonight, and I am so grateful. I hope you really listened to her and I know that if I ever find out about you doing this again, you will have a far worse punishment than losing your phone for a month. If I have to, I will take you to the police station myself".

She nodded.

"Miranda, you know my partner, Mary Beth? Well, she has two boys, in addition to Alice. And back when they were young, Alice wasn't even born yet, her son Harvey found her gun in her nightstand. He had a friend over and they were playing, and he pulled the gun on his friend. He thought that because he had seen his mom handle the gun many times before, that he knew what to do. But the reality is, even a trained professional like Mary Beth or me, can mess it up, which thankfully, he did not".

"What did she do?"

"She was very upset. She wouldn't speak to him for a couple days, and then she decided what to do, because she didn't want to just punish him, she wanted to teach him a lesson. She arranged for him to observe an autopsy of a young boy who had been killed by a gunshot wound".

All three girls exclaimed "Ewww! That's so gross!"

"It worked".

They chatted some more, and then David heard the oven going off, so he went and put the pasta shells in the oven. They all pitched in on setting the table, and making the salad, and getting drinks.

After a nice dinner, the girls insisted on cleaning up the kitchen. They all sat down in the den when they were done. Miranda was holding Charli on the couch.

"So, remember when you guys were talking about all of us going on a big family vacation? Are we still doing that?"

"Yes, we just haven't picked the spot or the dates. It will all depend on Chris' next surgery".

"Well, wherever we go and whenever we go, I am sure we are going to have a blast!"

"I am ready to just lay on the beach in the sun and relax!"

"I am ready to float in the pool with a drink in my hand".

"I want another mud bath".

"Yes, babe. Yes".

"I want a lazy river".

"All inclusive meals and drinks. Cabana boys. Spa services".

Chris grabbed a legal pad and started writing down all of these ideas.

"Ok, so geographically, where do you guys want to go?"

"Caribbean".

"Caribbean sounds good to me".

"Hawaii, or Caribbean, or Bermuda".

David grabbed the laptop, and they started looking at places.

"Antigua looks nice. So does Aruba."

"Where will everyone sleep?"

"Well, David and I will have a room. And we can get a suite, so Miranda will have a room connected to ours, and you two plus Charli can have a room, and Brian and Ann can have a room. So that's a 2 room suite, plus 2 rooms, however that works out".

"Well, Miranda could stay with us, in our room, if she wants".

"Yes, that would be fun!"

"Ok so three rooms. That would also work out".

David put in all of their requests, and found 2 places.

"So, it looks like our two options are going to be Coconut Bay resort in St. Lucia, or the Atlantis in the Bahamas".

He showed everyone each option.

They unanimously agreed on Coconut Bay in St. Lucia.

They decided to pick dates, but weren't going to book them until after they spoke with Dr. Larson.

"Girls, when you had your boobs done, how long did it take you to recover?"

"About 3-4 days, as long as I kept on top of the pain pills".

"Same. I was back at work in 5".

"Sweet! I will be ready for our trip then, because I plan on having this done in a couple of weeks".

Miranda reminded David that her school trip was the week before they were talking about- she would be gone to Canada for an entire week.

"That's right. So, Chris and I could technically head down a few days early, and you could fly down with Lisa and Bridgit and Charli."

"That would be fun".

"Would you guys be ok with that?"

"Sure".

Lisa and Bridgit and Charli stayed a little longer, and then decided to go home.

"Thanks for dinner, Aunt Chris, David".

"Anytime, sweetie".

Lisa went over and hugged Miranda.

"Goodnight, Munchkin".

Miranda hugged her back and then hugged Bridgit and Charli and then headed to her room.

Chris and David walked the girls to the door, and then hugged them goodbye.

He locked the door after them, and set the alarm. They had promised to text when they were home.

Chris grabbed some water and went and sat back on the couch.

David joined her and they kept looking at the resort website.

"Do you really think you can leave Miranda with the girls and be that far away from her?"

"I am making myself do it. You and I deserve some alone time together, babe. Look at this wing of the resort- it's adults only. So, the only question is, before, or after?"

"I say before. That way we will know that until the rest of them get there, there is no chance of any of them catching us".

"Great point".

He and Chris decided that they would send Miranda on her trip, and they would then leave for theirs. Bridgit and Lisa could pick Miranda up, when she returned, and the three of them would fly down together. They would all fly back together. Brian and Ann would fly in from LA, and most likely meet everyone in one of the layovers.

"Well as soon as we talk to my doctor, we can schedule it".

"Sounds good, babe".

They closed the laptop, and David went to check on Miranda while Chris headed to put on her pajamas.

He found that Miranda was fast asleep, and he stopped in the kitchen to get Chris a glass of fresh water.

Chris grabbed a nightgown out of the bathroom and put it on. She saw that it had pockets for inserts, so she grabbed the ones that Bridgit had given her, and put them inside.

She looked in the mirror, and actually looked normal for once. They climbed into bed, and snuggled up. David used the special massage gel on Chris' back and shoulders that she loved. Afterwards, they made love, and then fell asleep.

***Tuesday***

Chris woke up when her alarm went off. She put a waterproof bandage over her incision, and took a quick shower, and was so happy to realize that she could wash her hair with no pain. She got out and dried off and grabbed her phone. After checking the weather, she got dressed. It was supposed to be cold today, but warmer than it had been.

She threw on some yoga pants, her black uggs and a long sleeved shirt, and grabbed a sweatshirt.

She woke David up and then went and made breakfast for everyone.

Miranda had woken up and sleepily came into the kitchen. After a lovely breakfast of bagel sandwiches and cereal, Chris got ready to take Miranda to school.

"Babe, why don't I come with you, and then we can go shopping for the new place?"

"Sure, honey".

"Miranda, we need to finalize your colors for your room, and the room design."

"I want the walls to be teal, and the trims around the doors and windows to be silver, like sparkly, sparkly silver, and I found a pic on pinterest of what I want my bed to be like. And I want them to mount my TV on the wall". She pulled out her Ipad and showed them the pin, and Chris snapped a pic of it with her phone, to show the builder.

"You're sure?"

Miranda nodded. "Positive".

"What color do you want your bathroom?"

"Like a purple color, with the sparkly silver on the doors and trim, and then maybe some cute, really fluffy purple bath rugs".

"Ok, we will tell the builder, and look for you some purple fluffy rugs".

"Will there be a room for Bridgit and Lisa and Charli to stay with us?"

"Yes, honey. We will make it work".

They rinsed the dishes, and loaded the dishwasher, and then gathered their things and headed out the door.

They dropped Miranda off at school about 20 minutes later, and then headed to the paint store to get chips for each specific color.

After they were finished, they headed to the penthouse.

***Chris and David's penthouse***

Chris and David parked and went to the elevators of the penthouse, and rode up.

They walked in and found their contractor, Craig.

They chatted with him a little bit, and walked around looking at the progress.

They gave him the paint chips, and showed him how Chris had labeled them with what room they went to. He had just finished knocking out their wall for the terrace.

"What type of flooring do you guys want out there? It has hard wood now but that won't last with the weather".

"What do you recommend that will be weather proof but also won't be dangerous in the winter?"

Craig thought a minute and then he pulled out his book.

"We could take it down to the cement, and then reinforce it with textured cement. It won't be perfect, but it will help. I think you are truly too high up for you to get much in the way of blowing rain or snow, but it's possible."

They agreed with that, and then went to the kitchen to talk about the backsplash, and adding lights underneath the cabinets.

"Can you do the plugs with the USB ports in every room?"

"Absolutely".

They went over a few more things, and he told them they would definitely be able to live in the penthouse by January 20. She showed him the picture of how Miranda wanted her room, and they measured and he said it wouldn't be a problem at all.

"Since it has to be a built in, she will have space on either side for cubby hole closets. We can make it to where she can open the front of the panels on each side of the bed if she wants".

"That would be great. She also wants her TV mounted. So, if you have an idea of where that would be best, that would be helpful".

He showed them several places where he felt like it would work, and Chris told him she would bring Miranda one day closer to time and let her pick".

They left shortly after that, and went downstairs and took care of a few things at the front desk, and then headed out.

"Babe, wanna grab hibachi?"

"Absolutely".

They headed to Misago.

***Misago***

Chris and David sat at the table in Misago and placed their order. Chris got the steak and lobster, and David got the steak and scallops.

"We have a week and a half till Christmas, honey. I have already purchased and wrapped all of the girls gifts, but we need to get Miranda a few more things, and you need to tell me what you want for Christmas".

"Instead of Christmas gifts for each other, why don't we just go on a trip together or something and let that be our gift to each other?"

"We could. We could also make that our big gift, and then each give each other some small gifts too".

"That's also an idea, babe".

The chef came and started their meal.

"What should we get for Miranda?"

"I am thinking a new Apple TV, or a new Roku, and maybe some new clothes. Stephanie had already purchased and wrapped several gifts for her too, and we don't know what they are".

"That's a good point".

Chris thought for a minute.

"She double pierced her ears, so maybe some really nice birthstone earrings? We can also tell her to make an Amazon wish list".

"Those are both good ideas".

After they finished eating, David paid the check and they got a to go box, and then headed home.

They had just gotten in the car when David's phone rang. It was Craig.

"Hey Craig!"

"David- does Miranda want a queen size bed? I forgot to mention that's what I measured it at. So if she has smaller than that, then she will need a bigger mattress".

"She would love that. Thanks for catching that."

David hung up and filled Chris in.

"She will probably want the bigger bed, I know I couldn't wait to get a bigger one when I was her age".

They headed to pick her up from school, and then went home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris filled Miranda in about how she would have 2 cubby hole closets on each side of the bed.

"They could be for blankets or your dirty laundry, or even shoes, if you wanted. Or we could have him put shelves in there for books or movies or whatever."

"I like the blankets and dirty laundry option".

"He also said you would need a bigger bed, so you will have a new mattress in the penthouse".

"Awesome!"

"We need you to give us some Christmas ideas".

"Well, I definitely need new UGGs, mine are starting to get a hole in them. And I also need a new watch, because the kid that locked me in the classrooms last week stole my watch from me today and broke it. Aside from that, maybe a gift card to Target?"

"Those sound like good ideas". David was trying to remain calm about Ryan, the kid bothering Miranda. He was finally going to email her guidance counselor.

They came inside and put their stuff down.

Chris went and changed into some fleece pajama pants, and Miranda made herself a snack.

David was sitting at the table with her asking her where she got the watch that Ryan had broken.

"Mom gave it to me when I was 10. It was pretty too, it was silver and had diamond chips and she had it engraved on the bottom".

She had put all the pieces into a ziplock bag, and she grabbed it out of her backpack and showed it to him. He turned it over and saw that on the bottom, it had been engraved "love you forever".

The diamond chips were still there, but the face of the watch was smashed and the inside of the watch was all in pieces.

"How did he get it from you?"

"He pinned me up against a wall, held my arm against it, and took it from me. Nothing I did or said stopped him. He basically does what he wants to and says whatever he wants to and people are afraid of him and let him get away with it".

"Like who?"

"Like every girl in my class. And some of the boys too."

Miranda finished her snack and got up and went to her room. David got up and went to the bedroom where Chris was gathering laundry.

"Ok, so this punk is on my last damn nerve. I am going to email her guidance counselor for a meeting. And I think we should see if we can find a jewelry store that can rebuild her a watch using these parts, or maybe they can turn these parts into something else".

"Honey, that is a beautiful idea".

He put the bag with her watch on his dresser and went to the office to send the email. He explained in the email that Miranda's mom passed away in October, Miranda started school there the first of November, and since then, this kid has locked her in a classroom and made her miss lunch, he takes her things, he smashed her watch, the watch that her mom gave her. David stated that if one more incident happened, he was going to come up there and it wouldn't be a fun conference.

After he hit send, he went to the kitchen and started helping Chris prepare for dinner.

His phone buzzed a few minutes later, indicating that he had an email.

He checked it, and it was from the guidance counselor.

"We will look into this, and contact you tomorrow with what we find".

Chris and David made caprese stuffed chicken, and brown rice and chopped salad. They were planning on staying in.

After they had the chicken in the oven, she and David sat down with the laptop and started picking out little details for the penthouse, like drawer knobs and countertops and showerheads.

She texted Bridgit and Lisa and asked them if they knew of a jeweler who could make a custom piece on short notice, and Bridgit texted back 3 options. Chris decided they would go there tomorrow.

After dinner, Miranda asked David if he would take her to Macy's so she could buy another watch, and he agreed. Chris wanted to stay home.

She began to brainstorm what to get David while they were gone, and finally decided on a new briefcase and a new Go-pro for them to take on their vacation.

She ordered both, and then ordered Miranda the newest Roku, and a new TV for her room at the Penthouse. She decided to make a wish list for David to know what to get her. On her wish list, she put dead sea bath salts, a beautiful tanzanite ring, and a Pandora bracelet with a few charms. She got up and went and took a bubble bath, and was in the tub when he and Miranda got home. He saw her wish list and emailed the link to himself. He came into the bathroom, and found her in the tub, and joined her. She sat up so he could climb in behind her, and they soaked for a good bit.

"Did she find a new watch?"

"Yes, but she was upset about the other one. I told her we would have it fixed, or we would get her a really nice new one, but I made it seem like that wouldn't happen for a long time. She called her grandparents to see if they had one of her mom's watches, but they didn't".

After their bath, Chris and David got out of the tub and dried off and put on pajamas.

They were coming back into the den when Miranda started screaming.

They hurried to her room, and she was sitting on the bed crying.

"What happened?"

"I was changing into my pajamas. And I looked over and saw that the web camera on my computer was on. So I turned it off, and an IM popped up on the screen. It was Ryan, and he said that turning it off wouldn't help, that he could override that and turn it back on. I told him I was blocking him, and he told me he could override that too".

She had printed their convo, and had taken pics of it with her ipad.

David was livid. "This punk has gone too far". Just then, Ryan sent another message with the photos that he had taken of Miranda dressing. They took more pics of that with her ipad, and Miranda responded to stop.

"Ain't nobody gonna get me to stop. I will release these on the internet if you don't bring me $350 each day till the end of the school year. You are also going to do my homework, and carry all of my stuff between classes".

David printed all of this, and grabbed his phone and called his friend who worked in IT.

"Can you come to our house right now? We are having a cyberstalking issue".

"Sure, see you in 20."

"Ok. Patrick is on his way, and he will solve this".

Miranda was extremely creeped out, and Chris tried to calm her down.

Patrick arrived about 20 minutes later, and took a look at the laptop. He installed a flash drive that would instantly copy any incoming IM's while he was looking at it. He was able to trace the address to the same address of Ryan's home, and he was able to see that Ryan was using his school laptop. David had decided they were going to the school tomorrow to talk to the headmaster. This was going to stop.

Patrick upgraded the settings and was able to block him, but he was also able to tell if Ryan was still trying to hack her computer.

"Leave the laptop on, and plugged in, and the flash drive in it. When you go to school tomorrow, take the flash drive with you, and if you plug it into any computer, it will pop up with a file that will show all the attempts that were made and where they were made from."

"Perfect. Thank you!". David handed him some cash, and insisted that he took it, and then he left.

Miranda brought the laptop out to the den, and plugged it in, and left it out there, so that he wouldn't be able to see her sleep or anything else.

"Miranda, did you ever let him have your computer while you were at school?"

"No. He always asks, but I always say no. He does send lots of emails though, and they are weird."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he's got the highest gpa in the class. I mean, he is legitimately one of the smartest, most intelligent people in our grade. But he sent me emails with his homework attached asking me to check it saying he didn't understand it".

"So, he attached this spyware to the homework download. He is smart".

"Ok, well we will deal with this tomorrow. I am going to have a talk with your headmaster. Is there anything else he has done that you want us to know about?"

"I just feel extremely uncomfortable around him. He spreads ugly rumors around me, he is always bothering me. I absolutely positively hate math, but right now it's my favorite class because he's not in it."

"What kind of rumors?"

"He told all the boys that I like to give oral sex favors in the bathroom after school. He told the girls that I used to be a boy, and I transitioned right before I got here. He told some of my classmates that I had AIDS and the school let me in out of pity, and he told other classmates that I had just had my 4th abortion before I got accepted. None of those things are true, but only like 4 people believe me."

Chris hugged Miranda, and then David did too.

"We are going to get this straightened out".

They told her goodnight and they headed to bed themselves. David locked the doors and set the alarm, and got Chris a fresh glass of water. He climbed into bed next to her, and they snuggled up to watch the news. He made a list on his phone of everything Miranda had said.

Tomorrow was not going to be a fun day for Ryan Andrews.

***Wednesday***

Chris got up when her alarm went off and headed for the shower. She picked distressed skinny jeans, tall boots, and a black cowl neck sweater. She woke David up and went to make breakfast.

Miranda was already awake and dressed, and eating cereal.

"Morning kiddo. Want some toast or eggs?"

"Toast sounds great".

Chris could tell she hadn't slept well, and couldn't blame her.

David came out and joined them, and after breakfast, they all gathered their things and headed out the door.

***Birch Wathen Lenox School***

David, Chris and Miranda pulled up. They all got out and went in to the office.

"May I help you?"

"We need to speak to the headmaster please".

"I will let him know. You may have a seat".

About 5 minutes later, the headmaster came out and showed them to the conference room.

"How may I assist you?"

"Well, as you know, Miranda has only been here about a month or so, and there is this kid who is terrorizing her. I don't mean normal picking or bullying, he's way past that. We are talking criminal levels".

"Ok, start from the beginning and tell me what has happened."

Miranda told him everything that Ryan had done, and spread about her, and how he locked her in the classroom and how he destroyed her watch.

"And that brings us to last night. He has hacked her school computer, from his school computer and turned her webcam on while she was dressing and took pictures of her and then threatened to post them on the internet. She asked him to stop and he told her that he will do whatever he wants and nobody can make him stop. He told her that she had to bring him $350 per day or the pics would be posted. I called my friend from IT, and he came over and traced the messages to his IP address, and used a location website to find out it was coming from his house, and he gave us this flash drive. Every time that he tried to hack her computer last night, was recorded on this flash drive, along with the messages he was sending her."

David opened his laptop and put the flash drive in, and it pulled up everything. He slid the laptop over so that the headmaster could look at it.

"Ok. So, from what you have presented me, we have some major violations. At the most, I can tell you that he is highly at risk of being expelled. At the very least, I can tell you that he will be given a different schedule and you will not come into contact with him again. He is definitely going to be suspended and will lose his computer privileges for at least 90 days, possibly longer. My advice to you is to change your passwords on any social media or email accounts that he follows you on or knows the address too."

Miranda nodded.

"I am also going to make a rule, effective today that if there is an emergency, like you are locked in the room again, that you are allowed to use your phone to call the school and let us know. So, starting today, you will be allowed to carry your phone in your backpack or purse and use it with teacher discretion or in case of emergency."

He summoned his secretary and asked her to have Ryan paged to come to the office.

"And tell him to bring his belongings".

They sat and waited, and the guidance counselor joined them, and was glad to see this was being resolved.

Ryan came into the conference room a few minutes later, and sat across the table from David, Chris and Miranda.

The headmaster looked directly at him.

"These questions are yes or no, do you understand?"

He nodded.

"Did you lock Miranda in a classroom and cause her to miss lunch?"

"Yes."

"Did you spread rumors about her that were damaging to her reputation?"

"Yes".

"Did you pin her against a wall and steal her watch and smash it?"

"Yes".

"Did you hack her computer from your school computer and spy on her through the webcam?"

"Yes".

"Did you threaten to post pics of her on the internet?"

"Yes".

"Did you?"

"No".

"Have you hacked other computers here at school?"

"Kind of".

"Explain".

"I did it to school computers, but from my house".

"Duly noted".

The headmaster turned to his secretary and asked her to call Ryan's parents and have them come to school immediately.

He turned back to Ryan.  
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry. I was just trying to be cool, I guess".

The headmaster looked at David, Chris, and Miranda.

"Would you guys like to say anything to him?"

They nodded.

David went first.

"My daughter came to school here after a very tumultuous time in her life and no matter the circumstances, she has the right to come to school and feel safe, and be safe. She also has the right to feel safe in our home, and we protect her there. She is most definitely safe there. So, last night when I heard her screaming because you had turned her computer on and caught her in states of undress, and then she tells me what has been going on, I was incensed. It's a good thing I chose to handle this through the school. If I had come to your house, it would have been a lot worse. In case Miranda didn't tell you, I am a lawyer. I am very skilled at litigation, and I have a track record for getting very guilty people very short sentences, and also getting very guilty people very long, and harsh sentences. If you ever spread another rumor about my daughter, or you spy on her again from any device, or you touch her, or even look at her wrong, you will be dealing with me."

Chris went next. "In case Miranda didn't tell you, I am her stepmother and I worked for 30 years as a detective and then later a lieutenant with the NYPD. I still have lots of friends who work there. All it takes is one phone call and you will be picked up, and taken to juvenile hall. If you harm Miranda again in any way, it will be up to us-me and him, and Miranda- as to whether or not we involve the police. I just want you to think about that".

Miranda went next. "I just want you to know that the watch you broke, was the last piece of jewelry I was given from my mom. My mom who just died. And you spreading rumors about me just further ostracized me from being able to make friends here. I don't know what I did to you to deserve this, but you seriously need mental help and I hope you get it."

Ryan was staring at the table the entire time.

The headmaster spoke again.

"Ryan, your punishment is as follows. The board will decide today if you are allowed to remain at school here, or if you will be asked to leave. You are losing your computer, and you are no longer allowed to bring a laptop to school. You will be allowed to use the school's computer while at school only when under the direct supervision of a teacher. That means they are sitting next to you and watching your every move. You will also go to chapel today, and go up on stage and tell everyone that the rumors that you spread were not true and to not believe them. If you are permitted to stay here, you will receive an entirely new schedule, and you will not have any contact during the school day with Miranda. If you happen to see her, you are not to speak to her. You are also remanded to perform 100 hours community service by the end of the semester here on campus, and you are no longer allowed to attend the class trip to Canada."

He nodded.

The door opened, and the secretary showed Ryan's parents in.

They sat down next to him at the table.

"Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, this is Mr. and Mrs. Keeler, and their daughter Miranda. Miranda came to school here in October, and ever since she did, your son has been brutally terrorizing her. He locked her in a room, forcing her to miss lunch. He pinned her against a wall and stole her watch, and then destroyed it. The watch had a lot of sentimental value. He spread vicious rumors about her, and he also has been hacking and using his school computer to hack into her school computer and then he extorted her by telling her to pay him each day or he would post the inappropriate pics he took of her, pics that were totally innocent by the way. She is in no way culpable in this. I was just explaining to Ryan that he is on the fence as to whether he is allowed to remain here at Birch Wathen Lenox. If he is allowed to remain, he loses his school computer, and will only use a computer here at school under the direct supervision of his teacher. Since they don't have time to babysit him, I highly doubt that he will be using a computer here at school. He is not allowed to bring a laptop from home either. He is to complete 100 hours of community service here at school by the end of the school year, and he is going to go to chapel today and go up on stage and tell his class that the rumors he spread about her were not true and publicly apologize. He is no longer allowed to go on the class trip to Canada, and if he is allowed to remain at school, he will be given a schedule that is different from Miranda's so that they will have no contact whatsoever. The board will meet this afternoon, and we will decide if he is to remain at school".

Ryan's parents looked across the table at David, Chris, and Miranda. "You have our sincerest apologies. This is not how we raised our son to behave. We promise you this will be addressed, and we will pay for whatever damages we need to".

"Well, the watch he broke was given to her by her mother, who passed away 2 months ago. So, it was more of a sentimental loss."

"Honestly, the only thing that matters to me is him telling everyone that I don't do those things that he said".

"What did you say about her, Ryan?"

"I told the boys that she gave blowjobs in the bathroom after school for money, and I told the girls that she used to be male and transitioned before she came here. I also said that she had AIDS and was going to die soon and the school let her in out of pity, and that she has had a few abortions".

"Ryan James Andrews, you owe her an apology, and you will do it in the chapel like the headmaster said. You will also pay her for the watch, and for the lunch that she missed, and you are going to perform your 100 hours starting today. And when you finish those hours young man, you will be at home, packing your things. Your father and I just might send you to military school this time. This is disgraceful".

Mrs. Andrews whispered to her husband and they nodded and then she looked at the headmaster.

"The board doesn't have to vote. We have decided that after his 100 hours are up, we will withdraw him from this school. He will be more than happy to do anything you ask him to do to serve his 100 hours."

She got out her checkbook and wrote them a check for $400 dollars, and slid it across the table to Christine.

"This should take care of the lunch, the watch, and anything else. And again, we sincerely apologize. Honey, we promise you that any pictures of you that he has at home on his laptop will be destroyed and will not be posted."

"Thank you".

Ryan pulled out his school laptop and handed it over, and the headmaster looked at his watch.

"Well, chapel starts in ten minutes. Miranda, why don't you run to your locker and then meet us there?"

"Yes, sir."

She left and Chris and David got up to leave but the headmaster had them stay.

"Ryan, I think another part of your punishment is that you are going to have to take and complete sensitivity training. Miranda lost her mother a week before she came to school here. That is still fresh, and emotional for her. And you had no right to exploit that."

"Yes, sir".

Everyone got up and headed for the chapel.

The headmaster went up front and after everyone was seated, he called them to order.

"We have some announcements to make. First of all, it has come to our attention that some students have been locking others in classrooms. That is not ok. So, starting today, if you are locked in a classroom, you are allowed to use your cellphone to call the office and let us know. You are allowed to use your cellphone only in the case of an emergency. That does not mean you are allowed to use it in class, unless your teacher allows you to do so. If we have a drill like a fire drill or a tornado drill, you are absolutely not to be on your phone then. Same rules still apply, no use in the hallways or in the cafeteria, but if there is an emergency, you are allowed to use it. Also, we received a new student here a couple months ago, and another student has been spreading rumors about her, and wants to set the record straight. So, I am going to turn it over to Ryan Andrews, Please give him your full attention."

Ryan walked up there and took the microphone.

"Hi. So, when Miranda came here, I decided to try and be the cool guy. So I started hassling her, and I shouldn't have. That was wrong. I spread some rumors about her, which was also wrong. She doesn't do anything in the bathroom that she shouldn't be doing, and definitely not for money. She doesn't have AIDS, she hasn't had abortions, and she hasn't transitioned to female from male. I was wrong and shouldn't have said that. I am no longer going to be a student here, so do me a favor, please, and 1-have an awesome time in Canada, and enjoy the ski trip, and 2- give her the chance that I wish I had given her, and get to know her. She seems like a really nice person. One more thing I want to say- she went to Stacy McWatkin's house last weekend, and I convinced all of them they should drive Stacy's dads car even though we don't have a license. And Miranda's cousin found out and yelled at her and we were all laughing at her. Please stop laughing at her over that- it was my fault, she wouldn't have done it if I hadn't insisted that she do it. Again, I am really sorry, and I will miss you guys."

Everyone sat in stunned silence, and watched Ryan walk off stage and the headmaster walked back on stage.

"While I don't condone his actions, I want to commend Ryan for coming up here and apologizing in front of everyone. I told him he had to do it, but he did way more than I expected him to do. And I agree that Miranda should get a clean slate. So we all need to welcome her and get to know her."

Chris and David who were standing at the back of the chapel, snuck out into the foyer. They were standing in the foyer waiting for chapel to end so they could say goodbye to Miranda, when Ryan and his parents walked up to them.

Ryan spoke first. "Mr. Keeler, Mrs. Keeler, I am really sorry for what I did to Miranda."

David stuck his hand out and shook Ryan's hand. "Thank you, son, I hope you mean that".

Ryan's parents introduced themselves and shook hands with Chris and David, and then they left. Ryan was being sent home for the day.

About 10 minutes later, chapel was over, and the kids started to file out. Miranda found them and came over to them.

"Are you ok now?"

She nodded.

"Ok, well we are going to go, and we will be here to pick you up later, ok?"

"Ok. Dad, since he confessed that he put me up to driving the car, can we talk about reducing my punishment?"

"We can talk about it tonight, but no promises".

"Deal". She hugged them and they left and headed home.

***Chris and David's apartment***

Chris and David got home, and had lunch. Chris decided to start putting things they wouldn't need between now and the move in the office and she was going to call the packing company to come pack them and take the boxes to storage.

Chris went and got the watch of Miranda's and went to the three jewelry stores before she picked her up. The first two said they couldn't it, but the last one gave her a very reasonable quote and several options. They could rebuild it the way it was, or they could make the engraved piece into something like a pendant, or put it on another watch, and they could take the diamond chips and put them in a ring or bracelet or something. She decided to get her a watch with her birthstone around the edge, and have it engraved from them on the back, and had him make a necklace out of the engraved part from the first watch and then she had him make diamond earrings out of the diamond chips.

She paid him for all of it, and then went to get Miranda. He told her it would only take about a week. She would be able to pick it up on the 22nd.

She picked Miranda up, and then they headed to Starbucks and then home.

The school had given her a new computer, so she was excited to get that set up.

They came in the house, and she made herself a snack.

Chris told David in the bedroom what the jeweler said and he agreed those were the best options.

They came out and sat with Miranda.

"Miranda, in light of Ryan's confession, I have decided to shorten your punishment, but not forego it. So, instead of a month, you will only have to do 2 weeks. You will get your phone back a week from Saturday".

"Ok, I guess that's fair."

Miranda finished her snack and then went to start her homework.

Chris was in the kitchen trying to figure out what they were going to have for dinner.

They were anticipating a lazy night, which was much needed.

***Later that night***

Miranda had gone to bed, and Chris and David were in bed, watching the news.

There was a story about how a higher percentage of marriages were actually remarriages.

"Do you ever think about what your life would be like if you hadn't ever met me, honey?"

"No. I lived without you once, and that was hard enough".

"Yeah, but I mean if we had never ever met".

"Well, I don't know what it would have been, but I know it wouldn't have been as good".

She leaned her head on his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her forehead.

"I am not perfect, but I thank God every day that he gave us another chance to love each other and that we didn't screw it up the second time around".

She kissed him. "Me too".


End file.
